Salt River Fields at Talking Stick - Salt River Rafters

Photos by Gregory Koch, Richard Smith, and Meg Minard, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick 7555 N Pima Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Salt River Rafters website

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick website

Year Opened: 2011 Capacity: 11,000

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Rafting the Arizona Fall League

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is the spring training complex for the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks. It also hosts the Salt River Rafters, a baseball team in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). The Arizona Fall League is a developmental instructional baseball league played in various spring training complexes in the Greater Phoenix area. The season lasts a little over a month, during October and November. Major league teams send some of their most highly touted prospects to play in the league for additional practice in the hopes that it will allow them to advance to the next level sooner. This is even true for the umpires, who are Double-A or Triple-A umps getting their first experience in a four-person crew to prepare them for advancement to the next level.

Each Fall League team is affiliated with five major league clubs who send their prospects there, including whatever teams play their Spring Training at that facility. The alignment varies by year, but in 2025, the Rafters drew players from the Rockies, Diamondbacks, Angels, Pirates, and Red Sox.

The Rafters were Arizona Fall League champions in 2011, 2014, 2019, and 2024.

Salt River Fields is located on the land of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community and is the first spring training facility built on Native American land.

As of 2025, most Fall League games start at either 1:30 or 6:30 PM.

Food & Beverage 3

Although there are many different concession stands at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the vast majority of them are not open for Fall League games, where the crowds are far smaller than they are for Spring Training. As you come in through the home plate gate, there is one concession stand located to your left and a cart selling alcohol straight ahead. Everything else is closed for Rafters games.

The concession stand that is open has a decent enough selection. Hot dogs, chicken tenders, cheese and pepperoni pizza, and nachos are available, as are snacks such as popcorn and peanuts. Fountain soda and bottled water are available as well. A decent selection of beer is available at the alcohol cart for those of age.

Atmosphere 3

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is a gorgeous stadium, with desert landscaping in the batters eye and a gorgeous view of the mountains beyond the outfield fence. There is a 360 degree concourse, although many of the features of the concourse that would be open for Spring Training games, such as concession stands and the Rockies and Diamondbacks team stores, are closed during the Fall League. The first base side will be in the shade for day games, and the shade line moves towards home plate and then third base.

All seats are general admission for Fall League games, so you can sit wherever you want and will have a great view of the action from anywhere int he ballpark. There are grassy hills in left and right field that some fans like to bring blankets and sit on, but the view is better from the main seating area and you should have no problem getting a seat there in the AFL. While the hills would be packed for Spring Training games, they are nearly empty in the AFL. Some kids like to use it as a play area and will run around or roll up and down the slope throughout the game.

Music is played over the PA system between batters, and sometimes between pitches. However, like other Fall League stadiums, there are not a lot of bells and whistles here. There is a t-shirt toss at select home games (usually on Thursdays) and a raffle where a randomly selected fan wins a prize, but that's about it other than the game. The Fall League is for baseball purists and baseball in its pure form is exactly what you will get here.

Salt River Fields Behind Home, Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey

Neighborhood 5

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is located on the land of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, with other tourist facilities in the surrounding area. A Great Wolf Lodge is basically right next door to the stadium complex, and many other resorts are nearby as well. The Pavilions at Talking Stick Shopping Center is down the street and offers everything from wings to beer to seafood to burgers and more at its various restaurants, plus entertainment options such as indoor skydiving and movie theatres. Talking Stick Resort and Casino is less than a three mile drive away.

The two other Fall League venues in the East Valley, Sloan Park and Scottsdale Stadium are a short drive away, and one can easily attend a 1:30 game at one ballpark and a 6:30 game at the other. Even the West Valley venues are within a 40 minute drive or so, although it may be longer with traffic.

Fans 3

The Salt River Rafters draw more fans than any other team in the Fall League, the vast majority of whom are baseball purists deeply knowledgeable about the game. The crowds are small enough and quiet enough that you can hear a lot of the banter and discussion between other fans, which gives you a feeling for just how much they know and care about the game.

The Rafters typically draw about 400 fans to a weekday game and more on weekends. Many of them are retirees who moved to the area (in some cases specifically to be closer to the Spring Training and Fall League facilities) and for evening games, you will get some families as well. The paid attendance figures cited above do not include scouts (who don't need to pay for their tickets) and you will see many of them sitting behind home plate as well, although they are there to work, not to cheer.

Access 4

Salt River Fields is located just west of the Loop 101 Pima Fwy at the Indian Bend Rd exit. Park in the lot behind home plate off Pima Rd as that is closest to the main entranceway. You will likely hit more traffic for 6:30 games than those at 1:30, so plan accordingly. The lot is huge, so you should have no trouble parking, although many of the closest spots are reserved handicap spots. There are several other lots throughout the complex, although you will likely have no problem parking in the main one. Were you to come here for a Spring Training game, the lots would be packed with fans and you would have difficulty getting close, but for the Fall League, it is not an issue.

The concourses here are very wide, as they were designed for the much larger Spring Training crowds and you should have no problem moving around. There are restrooms open down each baseline, as well as a set in the outfield for those fans sitting on the hill. Again, this is more than enough for the Fall League games due to the size of the crowds.

Return on Investment 4

Ticket prices have increased several times in recent years but are still a great deal. General admission seats are just $14 for adults, with seniors 60+ and kids 11-17 getting in for just $12. Kids 10 and under get in for free when accompanied by an adult. Concession prices are on the high end since this is a major league Spring Training facility, but parking is free. If you were to attend a Spring Training game here, the airfare and hotels would cost about three times what they do the rest of the year, but if traveling from out of town for the Fall League, you will encounter no such inflation, making it a much more affordable way to experience Spring Training venues.

Extras 4

Look for the signage on the concourse honoring the Salt River Braves, a local community team that played games across the southwest in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

A second star for the gorgeous landscaping and scenery in and around the stadium. As you walk in, you will cross a pedestrian bridge over a stream that leads to a pond used to irrigate the fields. There is a small but gorgeous man-made waterfall that will be on your left as you approach the stadium. A trail will take you to the pond itself. There are also gorgeous views of the desert mountains beyond the outfield fence, and for evening games, the sunsets can be spectacular.

There is a merchandise store selling Rafters and Fall League merchandise at an Information booth on the concourse, on the first base side of home plate. You can also sign up for the raffle here and they will announce the winner near the end of the game.

Also be sure to check out the USS Arizona Memorial Garden across the parking lot for the stadium, in memory of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the battleship that was lost.

Final Thoughts

A Salt River Rafters game at Talking Stick is a laid back, fan-friendly experience where you can watch baseball in its purest form with other knowledgeable, passionate fans. Many of baseball's best players have made stops in the Fall League, and an AFL game here or at any of the other venues is a chance to see future stars in an intimate atmosphere at an affordable price. This is also a Major League Spring Training facility, and while not all the amenities are open for Fall League games, it is still a great place to watch a game.